MLD pros and cons.

[txwhitetail]

Can you find out how many tags they allow you before you get a mld permit? I'd hate to go through everything and then them miscount the deer population and compound the problem. And is it True you have to use all your tags?

Thanks again

Most small properties dont get as many tags as they have hunters so sometimes it isnt a "good deal" for places stacked with hunters.

You can go on the TPWD website and there is a management tool where you can outline your property and it will give you a ballpark management number.

[Javelin]

Can you find out how many tags they allow you before you get a mld permit? I'd hate to go through everything and then them miscount the deer population and compound the problem. And is it True you have to use all your tags?

Thanks again

No you do not have to use all your tags, you just cant get any more. I have heard rumor but nothing substantiated that if you leave tags open year after year after year they will lower the number you get. I kind of doubt that, unless you are given like 100 tags and only fill 20 of them. I think they are happy as long as you kill the majority and they understand some years will be lean.


As to the number it fluctuates a bit every year on most places and to my knowledge they will not let know how many tags you will get before entering the program.

Best way to know an approximate number is to ask leases nearby how many they get and how many acres they have and divide it to find out how many tags per acre then figure out how many you should get based on your acreage.

[Javelin]

https://lma.tpwd.state.tx.us/tag-estimator

here is the estimator txwhitetail talked about. I had never seen it. it didnt come out very close on my lease

[AntlerCollector]

Have several friends that have MLD properties and the ONLY negative a few of them have is, it allows the government into your personal business.

This^^^^^^ is why I didn't do it when the program was introduced. I have 4,000 acres. In Hardin and Polk Counties. I think I would want a fairly close guess as to how many tags would be allotted before I would agree to it. When you go MLD can you drop the program anytime you want?

[txwhitetail]

https://lma.tpwd.state.tx.us/tag-estimator

here is the estimator txwhitetail talked about. I had never seen it. it didnt come out very close on my lease

Very close to your surveys or what?

[hillcountryhunter]

Most small properties dont get as many tags as they have hunters so sometimes it isnt a "good deal" for places stacked with hunters.

You can go on the TPWD website and there is a management tool where you can outline your property and it will give you a ballpark management number.

Do you have a link to this tool? I searched around on the website for awhile and couldn’t find it.

[txwhitetail]

https://lma.tpwd.state.tx.us/tag-estimator

here is the estimator txwhitetail talked about. I had never seen it. it didnt come out very close on my lease

[sharkhunter]

It’s a good program but not anything you can’t do on you own. On the three I’ve been on it’s basicaly shoot every doe you see kill all the spikes and culls and don’t even think about shooting any buck with 8 or more points till he’s 5.5yrs old. If you do you will be horse whipped tarred and feathers and put on public display at the local courthouse.

[txwhitetail]

It’s a good program but not anything you can’t do on you own. On the three I’ve been on it’s basicaly shoot every doe you see kill all the spikes and culls and don’t even think about shooting any buck with 8 or more points till he’s 5.5yrs old. If you do you will be horse whipped tarred and feathers and put on public display at the local courthouse.

Sounds like a great plan to me!

[AntlerCollector]

Do you have a link to this tool? I searched around on the website for awhile and couldn’t find it.

See post 18

[JayB]

We hunted a timber lease in Anderson County. Our Section was 2500 acres and we actually hunted about 500 of those acres with our group. There were a few years that we only had 1 or 2 buck tags for our small group but we would have 8-10 doe tags. Wasn't really a big issue since the buck's in our area were not great. Some years we had 4-5 buck tags, but still did not kill that many because they did not fit the requirements. Antler restrictions don't matter. It is based on age/maturity of population. But sometimes it is hard to kill the allotted doe in a given year. Sometimes those girls were smarter than we gave them credit. Also, that 5 month season is great until February and you are actually tired of hunting.
Overall, the program was great. The management plan makes or breaks the program. like all areas, numbers will fluctuate through the years.